Slotted outlet fixture for wallinstalled vacuum cleaning systems



May 14, 1957 s. B. sHr-:ARER, sR

sLo'rTaD OUTLET FIXTURE FOR WALL-INSTALL@ VACUUM CLEANING SYSTEMS Filed Aug. 4. 1954 l v W l w 6. M a A M H F 4. d T4 y w .A WW@ m a W M u r V.. F B l 2 n 6. -1 F ATTORNEY United States Patent Of SLOTTED OUTLET FIXTURE FOR WALL- INSTALLED VACUUM CLEANING SYSTEMS Samuel'B. Shearer, Sr., Columbus, 0hio Application August 4, 1954, Serial No. 447,868

3 Claims. (Cl. 15-310) fixture being formed to provide for detachable connection therewith of hose extensions of various cleaning tools or appliances, the fixture being formed further with elongated slot means so constructed and arranged as to facilitate the removal of dust and dirt from the yarn or fiber head strands of such hoseless cleaning appliances as oor mops or dusters.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference may now be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view of a vacuum cleaning system in which the improved appliance attaching slotted outlet fixture of the present invention is adapted for disposal;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken through the outlet fixture;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the fixture;

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

In the above figures of the drawings, there has been disclosed at 1 the permanent wall-installed piping of a vacuum cleaning system V. Associated with the piping is a centrally located motor-driven vacuum producer 2 having an outlet pipe 3 leading to the exterior of a building of which the oors, shown at 4, form a part. The inlet pipe 5 of the producer leads from a conventional dust or dirt separator 6 having an outlet 7 for entrapped solids, the piping 1 being joined with'the top of the separator as shown. At one or more positions in the floors 4 of the building, the piping 1 is joined with the applianceattaching xtures F of the present invention.

As shown more particularly in Fig. 2, each of the fixtures F is formed to include a circular funnel-shaped body 3 having a relatively restricted lower end 9 which is internally threaded at 10 for application to an associated externally threaded pipe member forming a constituent part of the piping 1. The enlarged upper end of each xture body terminates in a cylindrical extension 11. The ilat upper peripheral edge of this extension forms a seat for a gasket ring 12 and upon the ring and seat there is positioned a flat surfaced, horizontally disposed substantially rectangular cover plate 13.

Each of these cover plates is formed in this instance with spaced vertical openings arranged for registry with corresponding but internally threaded openings formed in the body extension 11, said openings receiving the threaded shanks of a plurality of attaching screws 14 utilized in detachably uniting the cover plates with their associated body extensions. The cover plates project laterally beyond the peripheral edge of the extensions 11 for seating in shouldered recesses 15 formed at the upper ends of fixture-receiving openings 16 provided in the 2,791,792 Patented May 14, 1957 ice building floors 4. This arrangement is preferably such that the upper surfaces of each cover plate will be disposed in flush relation with those of the building iioors, and to this end the heads of the screws 14 occupy countersunk openings in the cover plates. v

Each of the plates 13 is formed with an elongated centrally disposed slot 17. Each of these slots is provided with a relatively restricted bottom and a wide top as produced by laterally disposed seating shoulders 18 formed as a part of the slot walls in each plate. Positioned on the shoulders 18 is an elongated gasket 19 and resting on this gasket are the undercut flanged surfaces 20 of a removable bar-shaped closure member 21 which constitutes a closure for the slot. To remove the closure member, the upper surface of the latter is longitudinally recessed at 22 for the reception of a flush-fitting handle element 23, the latter being joined with an associated closure body by a transverse pivot pin shown at 24. This handle element may be turned about its pivot to an elevated position, so that it may be conveniently graspedv for removal.

When the closure member is removed from the slot, air from the building rooms is drawn through the open 'slot in responseV to the negative pressures created in the piping 1 by the operation of the vacuum producer 2. Thus, a floor-dusting mop, such as that indicated at M, may have the fibrous strands of the head 25 positioned on the upper surface of the cover plate, as shown in Fig. l, so that the individual strands of the mop head may be drawn into the slot to remove dust and dirt in an effective and thorough manner therefrom. Other portable objects or appliances, such as hand dusters, dust cloths, throw rugs, blackboard erasers and the like may also be placed over the open slot of the cover plate and dust and other fine solids removed therefrom in an effective and quickly accomplished manner. All these fine solids are drawn in a confined manner through the piping 1 and collected for convenient removal in the separator 6 of the system.

The plate 13 of each fixture may also include, at one side of the s-lot 17, a circular opening 26 which is normally closed by a removable, flush-fitting plug 27. The opening 26 constitutes a socket for the detachable reception of the ordinary coupling end of a hose extension 28 of a vacuum cleaning appliance 29, such as the conventional floor or wall brushes and nozzle heads.

It will thus be apparent that the present invention provides an appliance-attaching fixture for Vacuum building cleaning systems which is so formed as to provide for the effective removal of dust and dirt present on or in a wide variety of different appliances or objects. By the provision of the closure-protected slot 17 in each cover plate the system is broadened in its uses and is not limited to the employment of hose-carrying cleaning appliances as heretofore required in apparatus of this character.

I claim:

l. An appliance attaching fixture for vacuum cleaning systems of the type adapted for permanent installation in the wall structure of a building, said fixture comprising a hollow floor-positioned fixture body having an upper end adapted to be positioned in an opening formed in a building floor, a substantially flat, horizontally positioned cover plate detachably secured to the upper end of said body in a position in which the plate may be disposed in the boundary of the floor opening and in substantially flush relationship with the upper surface of the floor, said plate being formed with an elongated centrally located, dirt-receiving slot and a circular vacuum cleaner hosereceiving socket adjacent said slot, said slot and socket, when open, establishing communication between the atmosphere and the hollow interior of said body, the walls of said cover plate defining said slot and socket being formed with laterally offset, horizontally l positioned shoulders constituting seating surfaces; and removable closure members for said slot and socket, respectively] 2. An appliance attaching inlet xture for centralized,

suction-type, cleaning systems, comprising: a building oor provided with a fixture-receiving opening extending vertically therethrough, the sides of said opening around the top thereof being marginally shouldered to form a cover plate seat; a hollow, vertically disposed, funnelshaped fixture body having a relatively-enlarged upper end positioned in said oor opening in relatively close engagement with the walls of the opening below the seat therein, the lower part of said body terminating axially thereof in an outlet ofreduced diameter as compared with the upper part of the body; a -tlat horizontally disposed cover plate positioned on and possessing the configuration of the shouldered seat of said Hoor opening, the upper surface of said plate being disposed in flush relation with the adjoining upper surfaces of said floor when said plate rests marginally on said seat; removable fastening means uniting said plate with the upper edge portions of said body, said plate being provided with a relatively narrow and elongated transversely extending dirtkadmitting slot and an -adjoining, circular, hose-receiving and attaching opening, the latter being disposed at one side of said slot; and separate removable closure devices for said slot and hose opening, said devices when in their positions of closure having their upper surfaces disposed substantially in flush relationship with the upper surfaces of said plate.

3. An appliance as specified in and by claim 2, and wherein said removable closure devices are providedwith finger-gripping elements which when vthe devices occupy their positions of slot and opening closure are disposed within the confines of recesses provided in the upper surfaces of said devices.

References .Cited in the tile lof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,029,532 Day June l1, 1912 1,037,083 Thurman .Aug. 27, v1912 '1,279,993 Cummings Sept. 24. 1918 1,458,391 Burton June 12, 1923 1,740,626 Petrelli Dec. 24, 1929 1,898,887 Naul Feb. 21, 1933 2,033,672 Baker Mar. 10, 1936 2,146,268 Powell Feb. 7, 1939 2,234,529 lMather Mar. 11, 1941 2,675,273 Sanders Apr. 13, 1954 aref-2in 

